Blade and Lockpick. A game engine for solo and two player games

Blade & Lockpick is a role playing engine written with the following goals:

To present a group-oriented resolution system where the party act as a group, not a collection of individuals.

To provide a universal resolution system that could handle combat, mountaineering and research projects equally well.

To allow an interesting game where one player can easily handle a group of characters.

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The dice-pool based system allows a group of characters to pool their skills, abilities and talents against an obstacle or foe and accounts for things like:

*Large monsters

*Deception and situational advantages

*Magic

*Character skills, raw abilities, masteries and unusual talents

and much more.

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Fast.

A complex battle with 4-6 characters on each side can be resolved in minutes instead of an hour, and without being a simple all-or-nothing outcome either.

* * * * *

No game engine would be complete without a character creation system.

In fact, we offer three ways to build interesting, fun characters, neither of which will take more than 5 minutes per character.

* * * * *

Several systems for improving characters over time, including by experience points, narratively or through a Milestone system, ideally suited for story-driven campaigns.

* * * * *

What if you can't decide what to play? We offer a tool to roll up a random campaign pitch.

Ever thought about doing a Low Fantasy light-hearted Heist adventure?

* * * * *

Lastly, you get a collection of solo-gaming tools, including an "Oracle" to answer game questions, random event systems, a table for determining the actions of your rivals and enemies and a "Between scenes" system for foiling your best laid plans.

* * * * *

Rather than being a game that can also be used for solo adventures, Blade & Lockpick was written specifically with the needs, concerns and difficulties of the solo gamer in mind.

It is also perfectly suited for those who like to play with a single player and a GM, but who would like to control a group of characters.

Lastly, you can use the system with a conventional gaming group interested in a more group-driven, narrative approach to gaming.

Hi Ivan, this looks interesting! Is it suitable for more realistic (non-fantasy) scenarios, or is there another product I should consider for that?

Ivan SFebruary 15, 2018 4:02 am UTC

PUBLISHER

Cheers!
I tested it with a "three musketeers" set up and I've done tests with a WW2 squad type of approach, both worked fine.

Scott SFebruary 20, 2018 1:19 am UTC

PURCHASER

I bought it, and it looks suitable for anything! Very cool, thanks.

Dillard RNovember 15, 2017 5:04 am UTC

PURCHASER

page 26 A character that qualifies as a Master may add two additional dice to the poo.

Ivan SNovember 15, 2017 1:06 pm UTC

PUBLISHER

Myself, 2 family members and 3 proof readers and somehow that never got noticed.
Fixed! (and cleaned up, we can't have errant poo in our games!)

Dillard RNovember 15, 2017 4:39 am UTC

PURCHASER

How can you win a challenge against an obstacle with a rating of 7? You can't roll a 7 on a die 6?

Ivan SNovember 15, 2017 4:41 am UTC

PUBLISHER

Cheers.
As written you can’t win against a 7.
If you roll a 6 and have a relevant Skill, you will draw, meaning you get to drop the difficulty but remove a character.

Use it for challenges that the party can’t overcome without taking a beating.

November 14, 2017 10:06 am UTC

Is it suitable for 3 players and no GM ?

My group play with Usurper, Dugeon scum and starport scum. Great games.

Ivan SNovember 14, 2017 7:29 pm UTC

PUBLISHER

Cheers and thank you.
Yes, you can play in a group game, GM less.
If you are familiar with the Mythic Game master emulator, it works a little bit like that, but with a group oriented resolution system, instead of rolling for each character.

For what it is, and what it is supposed to do, this system is perfect. It is rules-light, fast, and easy. It is fairly granular, so there isn't a wide range for variation; however, in the way that I have tended to use it, it does its job beautifully. [...]

The dice pool system is interesting and I can see the potential in the core mechanics. They resolve in an interesting manner although I do regret the choice to use 1 die per skilled character, simply because it leads to more reaching than I enjoy just [...]

Bottom line up front (BLUF): 6 USD is entirely too high a price for what you get. The group mechanics for overcoming challenges is interesting and looks like it could be really effective for narrative style gaming. This is a very lite set of rules. The [...]

Buy if interested in Solo gaming.Reading made me want to try out the dice mechanics before I had even finished the book , definately going to use the Combat/Challenge system in some way in my own Solo games.I do like all of Nordic Weasel's games that [...]

This is a great lite system that does exactly what it says on the tin. I found the solo mechanics quick, easy and could create fun situations on the fly: Within minutes of looking at the solo tables I had my charming duelist and his theat [...]

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